Question About the Football Player Not Standing for the National Anthem.

I don't think you can say you are a patriot who believes in the Constitution and then condemn someone for exercising the very freedom guaranteed in the First Amendment.

I think Tomi Lahren exemplifies white privilege - a white American yelling and ranting about what blacks should do about their situation. She has not walked in his shoes. Not for 1 mile. And talking about his adoptive parents? Way out of line. Obnoxious and disgusting. She also goes on about tokenism - as if the fact that there's a black president means there's no more racism anywhere. There are more holes in her argument than I can count. I don't think she has any valuable points at all - it's just arrogant cluelessness from someone in the white majority.

If you want a reasoned response, read Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's opinion piece about 2 athletes, 2 responses to the national anthem, and how they both have validity.

And let's calm down and stop telling everyone else how to be an American. Reciting a pledge or standing for an anthem does not make you a patriot. And condemning other Americans where such inequality exists is far more un-American.

I'd rather see people stop screaming at each other and start working together in any of the hundreds of areas where we can find common ground.

It's funny to me how people pick and choose what rights a person can express. With the 1st amendment we have freedom of speech. He is free to choose to salute the flag or not. I know people who were in the military. Some agree with him and some don't. Since we live in a country founded on freedom then anyone of us is free to stand or sit. It doesn't matter to me how people choose to salute the flag.

I think we, as a country, are heading down a dangerous road if we require patriotism of every citizen, and demonize anyone who points out a problem and suggests that we can do better.

I don't agree with every method that every citizen uses to bring attention to issues, but I respect their right to choose their own method, as long as it doesn't infringe upon someone else's rights. That's what the right to free speech means to me.

Now, all that said, a person's workplace can certainly limit what a person does while representing that workplace. Thus, the NFL is within its rights to impose consequences for workplace behavior. The right to free speech applies in a person's private life but does not apply when acting as a representative of his/her employer.

That's my $0.02.

He has every right to sit, and others have every right to be offended. That is just how it works.

I have my opinions and such on a lot of subjects but I keep them out of my workplace because I can get fired if my opinions harm our business. He chose to put it in his workplace and if that gets him terminated he should have known that was a possible outcome.

Ya know, to me in the end, if I can get fired for what he did, I see no reason why he shouldn't get fired if that is what the team chooses.

This is a free speech issue, anyone who says he is being un-American for this doesn't understand what America is supposed to be about. I served in the Army, my husband is retired Air Force, we served to protect peoples rights, not to force them to show allegiance to a flag. I support his right to protest in any way he sees fit as long as he is not hurting anyone, which he is not.

I also find it funny how people pick and choose which rights to defend, most of the people I know saying he is horrible for using his first amendment rights would throw a fit if someone even suggested slight limitations on their 2nd amendment ones.

I think he has the freedom in our country to do exactly what he did and how fortunate we are. I don't necessarily agree with him, but it's his right.

I also think there are far bigger issues in this country. Wish people would get in an uproar over gun violence or other more critical problems.

Personally, I think he's an idiot. Not standing is not doing ANYTHING to effect change. It's a meaningless gesture, IMHO. If he REALLY feels that strongly, then he can get out of his high priced car and leave his expensive home and really DO something. The Alameda County sheriff has invited him to come see how they train and do a ride-along so he will KNOW what he's talking about. The idiot has been strangely silent since the offer was made. He has no intention of DOING anything; he just wants some attention.

When Bush was president, anyone who criticized him was called unpatriotic. Anyone who had a different opinion than the administration obviously didn't love this country. That always bothered me because I strongly believe that some people love their country so much that they are compelled to stand up and admit things that are wrong or not working or need to be fixed.

I was raised Catholic, and I love my church. I do not always agree with my church, but I still love it. I believe it is not only my right but my responsibility to stand up when I think something is being handled poorly. I may never have the opportunity to work for the Catholic Church again, but there are absolutely some issues where I strongly disagree!

The same is true of our country. I don't know enough about this particular story or this player's concerns. But I cry inside when I hear people say that he is being disrespectful or unpatriotic. If he is doing this to try and instigate change, he is doing his moral duty for this country.

My brother is in the military, and it is a true sacrifice for him and for his wife and for their children. He is very touched when people thank him for his service. But he would be the first to admit that this country is far from perfect and that there are many, many things we can improve. And he would never be offended by this player's actions. Why? The player isn't saying that my brother's role is insignificant or that he doesn't appreciate the sacrifices of those in the military. There are real problems in this country, and we can't just hide from them because someone got everyone's attention by not standing during the National Anthem. It's a pointless statement. This has nothing to do with the individuals that serve our country. It has everything to do with social inequality, which is very, very real.

I come from a military family. I watch my baby brother suffer with PTSD to the point where he can't function. I see that he is in so much physical pain so jerks like Kaepernick can sit their lazy tails down in protest. He's also protesting that black people are oppressed. Give me a freaking break. He was sucking at his job and lost it. That happens to millions of people all the time...he wasn't performing. What is there to protest? And protest by not going to work - not disrespecting the country.

I disagree with anyone who sits down during the national anthem. No one has to agree with me, but that's my stance. I think it's rude and disrespectful - regardless of who you allegiance is to.

The beauty of living in this country is that we have the RIGHT to protest something that we believe is wrong.
I am not a football fan, at all, and am not well versed on what football players do with their money. BUT, I do live in Seattle so am very aware of our well-known players donating a lot of their time and $$$ to schools, hospitals, and programs for youth. Curious if Kaepernick does? Because it's one thing to say that you are protesting actions by a group and another to act on it. Sitting on your butt during the national anthem is getting him attention, so what is he going to do with it?

He's exercising his 1st amendment right to 'free speech'. I exercise my 1st amendment right to tell him to bugger off. He can give us his guaranteed $13million paycheck and spread that wealth to those who are oppressed.

Keep in mind? He apparently converted to Islam over the summer.

We aren't doing well... We are divided and 0bama and his ilk fan the flames.

Can we move forward? Yes. It will take a lot of work and getting past the us and them attitude and of course the color issue. One color is not better than the other.

Did he disrespect the flag? Urge tough call since he exercised his right to protest, etc. however to those who have served and lost loved ones who served? He just signed his career ending move. One of my girlfriends was a huge Colin fan. Now? She won't watch any game with the 49ers playing it. She's given away all of her Colin stuff she had...not like it was excessive but still

This is a petty distraction from some very real problems. It's easier to scowl and say "so and so didn't 'do' XYZ" and not look at the individuals overall actions. I choose to stand for the National Anthem but I grew up as a Witness, as Gamma has mentioned, and was required not to. That was awkward.

Ultimately, standing or pledging are trivial, outward actions compared to how a person truly is on the inside and their usual actions in life. We seem so wrapped up in tiny details that we forget there are truly ways we could all be helping more, all be better people.

ETA: my husband brought this up as well this evening and gave me more details, mainly because I have zero interest in sports and hadn't followed the whole story. While I agree with his right to protest, I don't believe it's productive. As I said above, one's actions are what we should judge and if the man isn't putting an effort behind his complaint, no, I don't respect that. That is just a complacent gesture.This isn't about patriotism, it's about integrity. (I spent the day volunteering for a ballot measure which benefits our most needy, so I suppose I'm a 'put your money/time where your mouth is' person as well.) :)

I had something all typed up and was about to finish it and post it when my cat decided to take a running leap onto my laptop, using it as a spring board to get to the top shelf he wanted on. I'm not going to type it all back up exactly but I will post up a shortened version and the link to a blog post I read this morning that really does an eloquent job of summing things up better than my rambly post was going to. It really is worth the read.
A Real Veteran Knows That Respect Cannot Be Compelled, Bought Or Inherited — Jim Wright Explains It All
http://americannewsx.com/hot-off-the-press/vets-respect-c...

I will openly admit, I am getting so sick and tired of people going on about how you aren't patriotic, you're insulting, insert whatever else here if you don't do things their way. It's absurd and petty and really screams I am the only one who's right and if you don't do things exactly as I say you are a horrible monster. To be blunt, it's a 2 year old tantrum.
Why is it awkward if you are not saluting some flag or singling some song if your religion compels you not to? Is your embarrassment at not looking like everyone else really more important then your religious beliefs? It reminds me of the question "If everyone else is jumping off the cliff are you going to as well just so you're not different". Back in elementary school, back in the 70s, I had a classmate in my class who's religious beliefs compelled him to not say the pledge. He sat quietly and that was the end of it. No one thought to label him a "terrorist" or call him "unpatriotic" or any of the other nonsense you see today. No one screamed "You are American, shut up and do as you are told to do and stop disrespecting me" which is so far from American values that it's laughable.
So much of this outrage and indignation screams 1950's McCarthy era Anti-Commie Scare tactics. "In God We Trust" wasn't on our currency until it was put there to somehow prove we were a good Godly nation and not a bunch of Commies. "Under God" wasn't in our pledge until the same time and for the same reason and wasn't ever mandated to be recited until that time frame.
Whether you recite a bunch of words or sing some song or put your hand over your heart or wear a stupid pin on your lapel or not is not what makes you patriotic. You can still love and respect your country and call out it's mistakes and problems. It's no different then a saying my mom once told me "You always love your child, you just don't always love their behaviour".
I support what he did. I support his right to do so. I support what he's calling out that needs to be addressed.

I think it's trivial, in the scheme of things.

Hear, hear, Diane B.

Frankly, I think it's disrespectful. However, I think this issue is the least of our problems right now. "The USA isn't doing very well overall." Well, no duh.

I understand we all have our "rights". However, there are something's that you just DO. Being respectful in certain situations is one of them. Being purposely disrespectful for attention is a different story.

Every individual citizen has the right to free speech.

The only issue I have is that when you are "on the clock" or acting in your professional capacity, you are not acting as an individual, you are representing your company, employer, or in this case, your team. So, in those instances, your comportment should reflect your professional capacity, not your individual opinions.

When I worked for the federal government, I DID have limits on what I could say or do when acting in my professional capacity, and I also had limits on what I could do even in my private life. In certain instances, where there could be a perceived conflict of interest, I had to refrain from certain behaviors, some specific political actions, and even certain financial investments.

Let's face it----this man is famous enough that if he really wanted to do something about racial inequality, all he would have to do is pick a place to shine his attention, his high public profile, and his clout, and have his agent alert the media, and he would have all the support, backing, and attention he could ever want for any cause or organization he's truly passionate about.

When he did this at the game, it seemed to me he just wanted attention. "Hey, look at me…"
Self-serving and self-aggrandizing.

Now, if he goes out and uses his first amendment right (a right that was given to him by other men and women's very lives) and his high public profile to actually DO something to help racial inequality in our communities, then I might believe this is about free speech. Until then, I have little respect for public, attention-seeking stunts.

i think of that phrase... not my monkey not my problem or whatever it is. and i could care less what some football player does.

I think whether or not someone agrees with what he did or why he did it, part of one's right as an American is to have an unpopular point of view. He is within his rights and we should respect that.

Perhaps because we are such a celebrity driven culture or something needs to be worthy of going viral, celebrities, particularly in sports, can bring attention to issues or start a conversation about issues which might be ignored if a school teacher or a community activist articulated them.

He says that he is not standing because he does not respect a country which allows racial inequality. He is standing, or not standing, to make a point about how he believes our country has historically and currently treat people of color. I believe that as a young African American man from Milwaukee, he's responding to the shootings in various cities, including Milwaukee..and the idea that there is one form of justice starting at the police level for boys and men who are African American and those who are white.

People may feel that what he did is disrespectful, but living in a highly segregated city, I see the differences in way people of color are treated from someone like me all the time...from the quality of the schools to being followed in a department store to police virtual level SWAT team response is someone like me gets their phone stolen to a police cover up if a 16 year old is shot multiple times which prone and a subsequent police cover-up.

Quite honestly, I think it is everyone's right to express their opinion and stand up for what they believe--or sit on their duff. Really the only problem I have with this is that he isn't really standing up for anything. I have not heard him speak out about anything. I feel the same about the protesters that sit in the street to block traffic to protest a shooting or other issue. All it did was make people pissed that they were late for work. In the past, when someone wanted change, you heard about them actually doing something to make that change happen. Now it is just yell and scream and yell some more that someone else isn't doing anything. Nothing is changing because no one is trying.

I will agree though about being in you work place and acting appropriately while on the job. And respecting the environment you are in at any given time.

I haven't watched the facebook link you have here, and it's a shame to me that he chooses this way to show his feelings, but as an American, he has a choice. Part of being an American is NOT having to respect the flag or the song. Remembering why our country was formed is important, though many people would prefer not to. Freedom of speech is sometimes hard to swallow.

Ditto what Cheryl B. And Julie F. said.

He is now in the position to be the agent of change. What else has he done?
Perhaps he has done something ( I haven't heard or researched), but it sure would be a lot more meaningful if he took more action besides sitting.

People have free will and choices. Someone choosing to stand or not has no impact on our own personal choices. To each, his own. We simply have to learn to be tolerant of our differences. We don't all have to agree and that's the great thing about being an individual. If I were sitting next to someone who didn't stand for the national anthem, it doesn't bother me a bit. Why should it? In the big scheme of things, the USA has bigger issues, as most other countries do. This is so trivial to me.

The thing that absolutely disgusts me is the flag burning. America has its faults but we do so much more good than 'bad'. Colin could have done a better job at explaining himself and what he is going to do to make America a better place.

He has the right to sit. I have the right to not support him or any team he is on and I won't. I have a problem being lectured by a spoiled celebrity athlete about anything. Put your money where your mouth is Colin THEN I will listen to what you have to say. Other than that, I don't give a flying fart in space about one thing he is protesting or complaining about.